The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Romancexe2x80x99.
The new Poinsettia is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar 490, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,825. The new Poinsettia was discovered and selected by the Inventor in a controlled environment in Blanzac, France. Compared to plants of the parent cultivar, plants of the new Poinsettia are more upright and can be grown closer together.
Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia by terminal cuttings taken at Encinitas, Calif., has shown that the unique features of this new Poinsettia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Romancexe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Romancexe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Bright red-colored flower bracts.
2. Very dark green leaves.
3. Compact, uniform, upright and somewhat spreading plant habit.
4. Freely branching habit.
5. Good post-production longevity.
Plants of the new Poinsettia can be compared to plants of the Poinsettia cultivar Fiscor, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,364. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Encinitas, Calif., plants of the new Poinsettia differed from plants of the cultivar Fiscor in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Poinsettia are more upright and more uniform in plant habit than plants of the cultivar Fiscor.
2. Plants of the new Poinsettia have smaller leaves and shorter petioles than plants of the cultivar Fiscor.
3. Plants of the new Poinsettia have smaller flower bracts and shorter bract petioles than plants of the cultivar Fiscor.
4. Plants of the new Poinsettia have smaller inflorescences and tighter cyathia clusters than plants of the cultivar Fiscor.
5. Flower bract color of the new Poinsettia does not fade whereas flower bract color of the cultivar Fiscor fades with development.